Latin American e-commerce to top $215 billion as consumers demand rapid delivery, report says
An employee of e-commerce MercadoLibre works at the company's offices in Buenos Aires, Argentina September 6, 2024. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
MEXICO CITY, Jan 27 : Online shopping in Latin America is projected to reach $215.31 billion this year, as consumers become less loyal to platforms and begin to prioritize reliable delivery and transparent pricing over flashy personalization, according to a report on Tuesday by consulting firm Endeavor and e-commerce giant MercadoLibre.
Latin American e-commerce growth is 1.5 times faster than the global average, the report found.
Those sales are concentrated in a handful of large markets, with Argentina, Brazil and Mexico making up nearly 85 per cent of regional online sales in 2025.
Shoppers in Latin America are largely mobile-first, the report found, with 84 per cent of purchases made on smartphones. However, loyalty is fragile, according to the study. Nearly half of consumers would stop buying from a platform after a bad experience, with common pain points including delivery delays and issues with returns.
Three-quarters of those polled cited clarity in prices and policies as very important, while just under a third said personalization was very important - suggesting platforms may be over-investing in recommendation algorithms while under-delivering on basic execution, according to the report.
Marketplaces are just "the tip of the iceberg," according to the report, with e-commerce firms set to increasingly tap into payment, credit and logistics opportunities.
